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So here we are at Presbyterian Hospital, and Iggy is lying in his hospital bed, watching HGTV, the pain meds are on their way...and I brought pizza, and six, count them six horror movies to ring in the new year!!

I am staying at the hospital with Iggy tonight. Cause this is our first new year together, and we are going to ring it in together sick or not.

Iggy, thanks you all for the nice wishes, and I also thank you all very much.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask if it is worthwhile or advisable to take Acyclovir in a prophylactic manner? I reside in Thailand where a generic is cheaply available, and have counts of 300 cells, 16% and 750K VL.. I do get fairly frequent genital herpes outbreaks, but so far no shingles. Given that taking acyclovir on a regular basis would no doubt reduce the gential herpes, maybe I should take it to also avoid shingles. Seems to be a very common problem for we with hiv.

OMG reading down this thread I was thinking, "Get your asses to the hospital!!!!" So GLAD to hear that Iggy is getting the care he needs. How long does it take for this to clear up, and when can Iggy go home?

Regardless, I am glad to read that you camped out in the hospital room and brought in the New Year together!

Jeromy, by any chance are you the Banker whenever you play Monopoly? That has just got to stop! LOL

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.

Iggy has been equipped with a PIC line and is on IV Acyclovir 100 ml/h every 8 hours...and I get to be his nurse and administer his IV for the next two weeks...cause mister man's right hand is completely useless. I love Iggy...but I have to tell you getting up at 5AM to give him his infusion SUCKS! So, I set him up and I go back to bed for another hour...LOL...

But, I thought I would show you all what his arm looked like...these pictures are not for the squeamish...the picture of the back, really doesn't capture the full effect. The shingles went all the way down the right side of the torso and wrapped around his stomach. YUCK!

The shot of his arm though, shows what the rest of the areas looked like...I don't know how he stood the pain...just look at it made me hurt...

Oh, my, poor baby! Is he contagious? I'm well versed in the early morning infusion sessions. We ran Mini's IV meds for over 4 wks (a picture of her "pole dancing" is in her thread "here's mini") Is he hooked to a pump or a gravity dial? Mini had a gravity dial and trying to figure out the math at o'dark thirty was not a pretty thing. But, being home is a wonderful thing and he'll heal much better and much faster than he will being stuffed in a hospital room. I'd send moochies, but I don't want cooties so I send a well meaning long-distance hug.

Damn! I had shingles once - a patch about 18 inches by 4 inches and not quite that severe. That's gotta be hurting you bunches Iggy my man. So sorry to see you laid up with it like that.

Being home has got to help though. I ran away from the hospital once to go home (when I had PCP) so I could get better! They weren't treating me right. Sure enough two days at home, with chicken soup, and ginger ale and I started getting better!

I just recently added acyclovir to my daily regimen because I've got this re-occuring herpes infection in one of my hands. It's gotten worse this year and I had 6 outbreaks. Each time I swear I could feel that old patch on my hips (where I had shingles) itching too.

and Jeromy, as one caretaker (back when my Randy was so sick) to another, let me give you a pat on the back. It's not always fun, and it sure as hell is tiring but it's a good thing you're doing to help the Igster out in his time of need.

Hang in there both you guys! mikie

Logged

leatherman (aka mIkIE)

All the stars are flashing high above the seaand the party is on fire around you and meWe're gonna burn this disco down before the morning comes- Pet Shop Boys chart from 1992-2015Isentress/Prezcobix

Yep, that looks real painful ! The way those shingles appear on Iggies forearm, were pretty much how they were on my abdomen, working around my left to the center of my back. That was back in 1989, and there are still areas of my back and side, that I can't feel. Nasty and painful. I wish you a speedy recovery.

On a lighter note, I have been threatening that I was going to buy a nurse's cap and start to wear it when I change his IV...hehehe...

Jer, I'm sure he won't mind if you wear that cap and nothing else; I know I wouldn't! I hope he continues to improve. I think somebody suggested having some Valtrex on hand, if possible, in case the signs of shingles occur again. Quick healing to you, Iggy.

We are headed to the doctor for his follow up visit...I will report back with any news...but he has been sleeping most of the day to day. Which is good, I worked from home today, so we could make the appointment and I didn't have to spend to much on gas back and forth.

I work from home again on Wednesday...but I will have to come home on my lunch hours the rest of the week to change his IV.

I have to say that the shingles are looking much better, except now his sores are beginning to scab over and leak, and the nurse says to change the bandages once a day...but the bandages are sticking to the scabs and rips them off when you take the bandages off. So, I made the command decision not to bandage his arm today, instead, we cut some old PJ's up and put the leg over his arm...that should help that issue.

Yesterday, he was changing his shirt and he was in the dressing area and he smacked his hand against the door frame and all I heard was this awful shriek of pain, and I go running in and find Iggy on the floor doubled over...God, he was in so much pain.

I just can't wait fo all of this to be over...I know how much this sucks.

Thank you all for your support and allowing me to spout off...I just feel so bad for him...and top it all off, I am coming down with a cold. BLECH!!!

Drippy nose, and scratchy throat...and very sleepy...so in comes the cold medicines and trying not to make Iggy sick. So, I am constantly washing my hands and they are so dry and chapped from all the washing...I am going through a ton of hand lotion too...and not for the reasons you pervs are thinking of...

So anyway, I have rambled on enough...will log in again later and let you all know what is going on with Iggy!

Nice visual, Jeromy. I can imagine you in a nurse's cap and nothing else... Damn Iggy is lucky.... Glad to hear that things is getting better with him. Now you're gonna have to do something about that cold.

Jeromy/Iggy,My doc suggested bathing the effected areas in salty water and just patting them dry. He said this would help with the healing and drying out and help to prevent infections in any of the sores. How's the pain going? I seem to recall the nerve pain been more extreme when the shingles started healing.

I want to thank everyone for all the kind words here and via pm's (which I hope to catch up with - so please be patient) I'm typing with one hand so I'm not going say much outside of how grateful I have been for the outpouring of well wishes.

Everything is healing just fine though I lost about 15lbs in the last 1-2 weeks. My appetite is returning and I expect to regain my gut in short time indeed.

A few people wanted to know why I waited so long to get treatment and it boils down to two things. First - despite how it looked- It wasn't painful for the first 5+ days of the outbreak. I know that sounds crazy, but it wasn't until I started getting it in the webs of my fingers and under my nails that it became hard to deal. the other item was finances. I have still not found a job while in Charlotte and though I was on Jeromy's health insurance - my coverage didn't start until the 1st...so I gambled that I could make it till then. Unfortunately after about 7 days of breaking out and no signs of it stopping plus the fever and chills and vommitting - I guess I was no match for Jeromy who assured me that he would drag me by my blistered arm to the hospital if I didn't go willingly.

This makes a good time to publicly thank my partner, and love who never left my side in the hospital and who would have me do nothing so that he could care for me. He is truly a wonderful person whom I am grateful to have in my life. There is not enough good that I can say about someone who was so focused on me in a scary moment. He has been administering my IV every 8 hours (including the damn 5 a./m. dosage) and taking the best care of me...all the time telling me how handsome I am (blisters on face and all )

On that note I want to add a secondary thanks to all of you for your well wishes - as I feel they offered Jeromy great comfort and a sense of others supporting him when he was so worried. I don't know if you all realize how much your words and thoughts meant to him and for that alone I am overwhelmed at how well you all took care of my love while he took care of me (cheating at Monopoly aside)

Thank you again to everyone. Really showed me a lot about the heart of this board and its members. It was a wonderful lesson.

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.

Well, Iggy is feeling a lot better!! He is back to his ornery self again! But he is still sitting through the IV therapy every 8 hours. But the shingles are looking good...but he is still having some pain...to be expected though.

I just wanted to let you all know he is doing MUCH better! Thank you all for your well wishes!!

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.